SAN JOSE (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged Central America’s governments to do more to contain illegal immigration and expressed concerns about the health of democracy and human rights in the region during a visit on Tuesday.
Speaking at a joint news conference with Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado, Blinken said the United States wanted to hear from its partners in the region about their shared commitment to tackling the challenge posed by migration.
U.S. President Joe Biden has been under pressure to reduce a sharp increase in undocumented immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border since taking office in January.
Many of the people caught at the border are from three violent and impoverished Central American countries, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador, which Washington has pledged aid in return for commitments to improve local governance.
That drive has been clouded by concern about corruption and signs of authoritarianism among regional leaders.
The United States has also pledged to support poorer countries in the fight against COVID-19 with vaccines, and Blinken said the government would in the next week or so set out plans for how millions of vaccines would be distributed.
Blinken traveled to San Jose, Costa Rica, to hold talks with leaders from Central America and Mexico.
(Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk; editing by Grant McCool)
